I mean, what's your definition of 'normal'
by AliceRulesMyWorld
Summary: Punk Bella and good girl Alice are thrown into peer counseling, one of them not knowing they are being counseled and when they become friends they'll find that what you see isn't always what you get. NOT a Femmeslash
1. Chapter 1

Alice was really looking forward to this 'peer counseling' Mr. Banner had asked her to do. She stepped into the teacher's lounge where they hold these things. Teacher's lounge is not that much to look at, to be honest with you. Four white walls and two vending machines, looking so old and decrepit, you think they don't even work anymore. There are two tables with two chairs each. And the person she was counseling should be sitting in one of them. Oh, hell no. The girl sitting before her had purple, yes _purple,_ hair feathered out in all directions. She had an eyebrow ring, a lip ring, and three tattoos. Those are just the ones that are visible. Alice didn't like this idea at all. She cleared her throat anyway. "Do you want to start or should I?"

"Why don't I start?" the girl with purple hair asked. "I'm Bella Swan."

"I'm Alice Cullen."

"Nice to meet you Al." Alice winced, but didn't say anything in protest.

"So," Alice said, "why are you here?"

"Keeps me 'off the streets' you know, all that parental stuff. Plus, I have to get in fifteen hours. Twenty minutes and counting." She grinned widely. They sat in silence for ten more minutes. "Well, that's about all the fun I can take for one day.

**If you like it, I'll keep going with it if not, then not.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Banner, I can't do this."

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"What do I _mean?_ She's not my peer, Mr. Banner, and this is peer counseling."

"Nonsense, Alice. Give it three more sessions, okay? See if you won't change your mind"

She muttered to herself all the way to the bus. "Seriously? It's going to take a left lobe lobotomy to change my mind on this one…This is so ridiculous. I'm a student not a bloody miracle worker…"

"I'm home!" Alice shouted, only to hear her brothers arguing. She sighed. Esme must be 'sick' again. "Edward," Alice said, "where's mom?" It was so unfair for her and Edward to take care of Emmett. Edward is only seven years old. Emmett is five. Alice was the oldest at fourteen, and she did everything in that house and for that family. Their dad, Carlisle, left five years ago—just after Emmett was born—and Esme is in a state of depression. She's an interior designer. That is, when she manages to get out of bed. That isn't often.

"Alice, we're starving." Edward said.

"I'll make something. Please, please finish your homework."

**Later that night…**

"Emmett, why aren't you in bed?" He answered her question by throwing up. Alice put a hand to his forehead to find that his temperature had to be over a hundred.

"We're going to the emergency room. Grab mom's car keys."

Alice drove. Esme never even got out of bed.


	3. Chapter 3

"**S**o," Bella asked, "how was your weekend?"

"I spent most of it at the ER."

"Tell me about it." There was a pause when Bella said, "no really tell me about it."

"Okay, I spent the majority of it in the hospital."

"How come?" She asked, not even nosily, just so Alice could talk about it.

"My brother was really sick, so I grabbed Edward, middle child and took Emmett, which is the sick one, to the hospital." I explained, anticipating the next question.

"Where was your mom?" I stiffened. "Stupid question, working right?" she covered. Alice knew that she knew that wasn't the truth. She just didn't know exactly what the truth was, and Alice was going to keep it that way.

"Is he okay now?" She asked shifting the subject just enough that it wasn't obvious. The subject of her mom hung between them, though. It was the big pink elephant in the room. You know when both people know it is there, but they both pretend that it isn't?

"Yeah, twenty four hour bug I guess." She answered honestly.

**L**ater that night, Alice called up an old friend. "Hey, Rose."

"Alice?" Rosalie seemed shocked.

"Still a ya-ya?" I teased.

"No, actually. You?"

"No. So how's Jessica." There was a silence.

"Don't you know?" she asked quietly. "She died. I left a message with your mom." I felt anger flare inside of me.

"I never got it." I told her.

"I wondered…Anyway I have to go. Call me another time?"

"Yeah, sure." I answered.

"Bye."

"Bye."

"**W**hat happened to you? You look like hell." Bella asked bluntly.

"My friend's sister just died."

"How?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Maybe she killed herself." She suggested.

"No, she wouldn't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because she was normal."

"And what's that mean, normal, as you see it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's your definition of normal?"

"I don't know."

There was a silence and then she began to speak pensively, almost to herself, "I had a friend in seventh grade that killed him self. He had a rough life, sure, but he seemed like such a happy person, you know? He was a year younger than me, I was in eighth. It was such a shock, because the day it happened he seemed all happy. Looking back on it I see the signs. If I would've noticed them then, if I'd just talked to him…It's my fault he hung himself."

"It's not your fault," Alice told her. "You can't be responsible for everyone. Not even your friends."

"Really?" Bella asked softly.

"Really." Alice answered firmly, but gently.

So why couldn't Alice see that she was being responsible for everybody she loved?


End file.
